


Sharks in the Water

by fishpoets



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, implied r76
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-25 02:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14966948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishpoets/pseuds/fishpoets
Summary: Two conversations before Jesse McCree and Genji Shimada were each recruited to Blackwatch.





	1. Chapter 1

 

When Gabriel finally made his way down to the interrogation rooms Jack was already there, watching their latest acquisition through the one-way window. The lights were turned low in the cell; in the gloom of the observation room, starkly lit by only the faint yellow light filtering through the glass, Jack cast an image like a panel from a superhero comic. He stood tall and straight-shouldered in his regulation blues, hands clasped tight behind his back as though they held on to the fate of the world.

 

“Reyes,” he greeted quietly as Gabriel entered.

 

“Morrison.”

 

“This the one you messaged me about?”

 

“Yeah, that's him.”

 

“Huh.” A momentary pause. “Thought he'd be...”

 

“What, bigger?” Gabriel smirked. “I don't think they were running a super-soldier program out in Deadlock Gorge, Jackie.”

 

Jack puffed a laugh through his nose and finally turned to shine those baby blues on him.

 

“Hey.” He smiled, a flash of those stupidly white teeth. “Good to see you back.”

 

Gabriel grinned. He pushed himself off the doorjamb and stalked closer. “Good to see you too, soldier,” he purred.

 

The tip of Jack's tongue flickered across his lips. He glanced away, gaze darting up towards the cameras in the corner before returning to Gabriel.

 

“You alright?” he asked. “Heard it got a little rough out there.”

 

Gabriel shrugged and let it go. Not the time or place for flirting or PDA. “Some scrapes and bruises,” he said. “Sore shoulder. Nothing that ain't almost healed already.”

 

Jack's broad brow furrowed. “How'd they get the drop on you?”

 

“They didn't. Didn't know we were coming, as we planned. But they rallied and mobilized quicker than we'd anticipated they would. More efficiently, too, and they had some pretty solid tactics in play. That, plus terrain advantage...” He shrugged again. “We had to adapt. Got the job done, though, that's the important thing.”

 

Jack shot him a glance and opened his mouth.

 

“I've sent a full report to your terminal, _Commander_ ,” Gabriel said pointedly, eyebrows raised.

 

Jack huffed a dry laugh and raised a palm. “Alright, alright. Later, then.” He nodded in the direction of the glass. “So what's with Butch Cassidy here? Why've you got him up here in A block instead of down in block C with the others?”

 

“He's...” Try as he might, Gabriel couldn't land on the right word. “..He's different.”

 

“Different.”

 

“That's what I said.”

 

Those thinning blond brows drew inwards. “How many of ours did he kill?”

 

 _Mine_ , Gabriel thought protectively, _how many of mine,_ but he let that go too.

 

“Four,” he replied. “Put three more in the hospital.”

 

Jack blinked. His jaw tensed, and he raised his chin, as if the strength of it could shield him from the blow.

 

“Chance of recovery?”

 

“Good,” Gabriel reassured, “for all of them, though Rodriguez isn't gonna fight again unless she opts for the reconstructive surgery.” He looked at the young man – little more than a kid, really – still slumped in his seat, staring sullenly at where his hands were cuffed to the tabletop. His legs were jiggling nervously under the table. “He got her right through the kneecap.”

 

Jack cast him a look. “You sound almost impressed.”

 

“That's 'cause I am. He's a damn good shot, Jack, and knowing Ana as we do you know I don't say that lightly.”

 

“Is that why you want him?”

 

Surprise made Gabriel start before he could hide it. “Now, Jackie, whatever makes you think--”

 

“Don't play dumb, you're better than that.” Jack nudged him with his elbow. “I know you, Gabe. You've picked up criminals before for Blackwatch's ranks. That's – fine; we agreed that, so long as we're open with each other, Blackwatch would be yours to manage as you see fit. But, Gabe-” He turned, and fixed him once again with those burning blues. “This is different. You can see that, right? None of the ones you've brought in before had ever hurt our own.”

 

Gabriel let out a long breath. “...I know.”

 

“How're you gonna deal with him, knowing their blood is on his hands?”

 

“I intend to make him _work_ to make it up to me,” he growled. “Trust me.”

 

“I do, but be honest with yourself, Gabriel; is that gonna be enough?”

 

Gabriel looked back through the mirror. For all the wild, untamed fire in his eyes, though he was desert-burned and battle-scuffed, their prisoner was still so young. Barely old enough to grow hair on his chin. At that age, Jack and Gabriel had both still been in high school. For all the troubles in their lives they'd both had loving families to go home to at the end of each day.

 

“He's a kid, Jack,” he murmured.

 

“..He's a killer.”

 

“Yeah.” Gabriel nodded, because it was true. “He is. He's got the instinct. He's got what it takes. But there's more to him than that.” He tapped his right cheekbone. “I can see it in his eyes, Jack. He's smart, he's hungry. He's not too loyal to Deadlock, either – I'm sure he thinks he is, but I'd bet good money he only stuck with 'em cause when there's no other options, it's hard for a trumped-up biker gang _not_ to seem like the best choice around.”

 

Jack dropped his arms from his back and crossed them in front. “This isn't exactly filling me with confidence, Gabe.”

 

“Eh, you don't need to worry about it. I can break him in.”

 

Jack still looked unconvinced. Gabriel let out a sharp sigh and leant against the mirror, angling in so Jack would have to look him right in the eye. “C'mon, Jackie, we both know he's not gonna get life behind bars. He'll be tried as an adult; put him in front of any judge or jury and it's the chair for him, guaranteed. Needle, if he's lucky.”

 

Jack's lips twisted. Gabriel raised one hand to rest it over his blue-clad bicep.

 

“Just let me offer him the choice,” he said quietly. “Give him a chance to do the right thing.”

 

The muscle under Gabriel's hand tensed, then relaxed. “Ugh, fine,” Jack grumbled. Gabriel stepped back, pleased.

 

“You going in there now?” Jack asked.

 

“That's the plan. You wanna..?”

 

“Ha, no.” Jack quirked a grin, which an instant later twitched into a grimace. “No. If I go in there with you, I don't know that I'd be able to keep my temper in check, kid or no kid.”

 

Gabriel nodded. “Fair enough.”

 

Jack reached across and patted his shoulder. He looked away at the boy through the glass, but his hand lingered, broad and strong and warm though Gabriel's clothes. “I'm trusting your judgement on this one, Reyes,” he eventually said. “I hope you know what you're doing, 'cause if this goes wrong...”

 

“On my head be the consequences, I know.” Gabriel stepped forward again to stand by Jack's side, watching Jack's reflection as Jack watched the kid, and hoped this wasn't going to be a mistake.

 

Jack sighed. “Just don't make me need more flags.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Doctor Angela Ziegler had a reputation for being very protective of her charges. Protective like a mother bear. It was a reputation that was well-deserved.

 

Deep in the warren of the Swiss Headquarters Medbay, Jesse McCree propped the heel of his boot up on the wall he was leaning against with a faint ring of the spur. He inclined his head, to the left and down just a touch, to speak quietly into his Commander's ear.

 

“You sure 'bout this? Not too late to form a plan B.”

 

Gabriel's response was to shift his eyes across to Jesse's and send him a wink.

 

The sliding doors to the ward itself were supposed to be soundproof, but they could still just about make out the doctor’s higher pitched voice, talking as she tended to her patient. She was going on about how well he was doing with his physiotherapy, how his latest grafts had taken even better than she could have hoped, this and that, yadda yadda – it all went over Jesse’s head, goddamn, he was getting itchy just listening to her – and being the kind of person she was, Mercy took care to reassure her patient that his civilian grade prostheses would, of course, remain free-of-charge for him.

 

There was a pause after she said this last bit. Probably the patient asking her something, because Angela elaborated, “Yes, all your care and recovery costs are being covered by the organization.” Another short pause, then she added, sounding somewhat reluctant, “Most of it has been funded from the research and development opportunities offered by your... unique case. But as I have said before, you are in no debt, Genji, please remember that. You do not owe us anything.”

 

With that Gabriel, who up until this point had been quiet and still as a crouching jaguar, suddenly shifted. He knocked on the door, slid it open and poked his head through the gap. “Hey, we free to come in yet, Doc?” He didn't wait for her to answer before he stepped on inside. McCree followed.

 

“Commander Reyes!” Angela scolded. “When I ask you to stay outside I expect you to do so!”

 

Reyes raised his palms peacefully. “Sorry, Doc, I assumed you were finishing up. Just wanted to have a little chat with your patient, here. Won't take long.” He turned to the man in the bed, who seemed almost buried under a myriad of wires, hooked up as he was to all manner of beeping machines. “Doctor Ziegler's right, you don't owe us a thing,” Reyes told him. “But with that said, we do have an offer for you, Mister Shimada, if you feel up to hearing it.”

 

Angela's scowl darkened. Her blue eyes had recovered some of their brightness; the shadows that had been etched so deep beneath them during the first weeks of Genji's convalescence, as she battled to keep him from tipping over the brink of death, had faded as his health finally stabilized. Right now, Jesse could tell, she was weighing up Reyes’ determination against how much effort she could spare to fight him. Doctor Ziegler was the fierce mother bear, the queen of her medbay, but Reyes had never paid much mind to any laws that weren't his own. If he wanted something badly enough he'd do it, no matter how she protested.

 

“..Fine,” she ceded, crossing her arms. “You may stay and speak, provided Genji is willing..?” She looked down at the man in the bed, and his tubes-and-metal-framed head shifted against the pillow in an approximate nod. “..Very well. But anything you have to say to him, Commander, you can do so in front of me.”

 

“Fair enough. Thank you, Doctor.”

 

“Hmph. I'll allow you ten minutes.”

 

Genji's pitch-dark eyes slid across from Angela to Reyes. Any hint of softness they may have had looking up at Miss Mercy disappeared; the rounded shape of them narrowed, turned hard and acute and assessing.

 

Jesse had only seen him once before. Caught a glimpse a couple months ago, when he'd been looking for Doctor O'Deorain and taken a wrong turn. Back then all the man's fleshy parts, the parts that weren't being replaced with cybernetics and carbon-something mesh and other stuff above Jesse’s paygrade, had been covered in layers of bandages. With the bandages now removed Jesse could see the tangle of scars that scoured his skin, all up his left arm and chest and across what was visible of his face. Most of the scars didn't look like they'd been inflicted by any sort of sword or blade Jesse knew.

 

Just what the hell had _happened_ to this guy?

 

The lower half of Genji's face was covered with a complicated-looking breathing apparatus that extended down around his throat. The equipment hissed as he drew in a slow, shallow breath.

 

“Who's _we?_ ”

 

It was the first time Jesse had ever heard him in person. The sound was nothing like the cocky, carefree voice he'd heard from Blackwatch's surveillance records. Rough and sneering. Each syllable bitten out with intent to bleed.

 

“ _Overwatch?_ ”

 

Reyes flicked his thumb at Angela. “The good doctor's Overwatch. Me? Eh, not quite. But close enough, sure.”

 

Genji's eyes narrowed more. He said nothing. Reyes took the opportunity to step fully into the center of the room. He dragged the cheap plastic chair from the corner and sank into it, only a couple feet from Genji's bed, and linked his fingers together in his lap. McCree stepped into place just behind his right shoulder and remained silent.

 

“I'm sure you're aware of your situation, Mister Shimada,” Reyes said conversationally. He held out a hand; knowing his cue, Jesse wordlessly passed over the thick dossier he was carrying, stuffed to the gills with good old-fashioned paper, for Reyes to flick through. An old case, nothing to do with the Shimada-gumi at all, but Genji didn't need to know that. Appearances were everything.

 

Reyes rifled through the pages with affected boredom as he continued. “Once you're out of here, which shouldn't be too long now, you'll be on your own.” He paused a moment then closed the folder. “But we can help you with that. We can put you in witness protection. Give you a new identity, new credentials, a new home – somewhere nice and quiet where you can keep your head down, start a fresh new life for yourself. Your family won't ever bother you again. Won't even know you exist.”

 

The bleach-white bedsheets crumpled under Genji's fists.

 

Reyes leaned forward in his seat. “All we ask in return, is for a little information.”

 

The thin, scarred skin across the bridge of Genji's nose wrinkled like he was snarling. “And if I refuse?”

 

“If you turn us down... well, once you've got your strength back and the doctors give you clearance, you're free to leave. Go wherever you wish. Make your own way.” Reyes shrugged. “It's true we're after dirt on your family, but we don't have to bother you for it. I'm sure we can find what we need elsewhere.”

 

Genji spat out a noise like a scoff. “It would take months to find what you’re looking for. By the time you did, it would be outdated. Worthless.” His hand twitched. “The clan does not waste time. Dragons do not dally. They decide, and then, they _strike_.”

 

Reyes waited for his unsteady breaths to calm. “Might take us longer than ideal, yeah” he replied, “which is why we hoped to talk with you, Mister Shimada.” One side of his mouth tilted up in a vague half-smile. “But we’ve got our leads, so somehow I think we’ll manage--”

 

“What you need to know is how they operate,” Genji interrupted, “right from the top. You need that inside knowledge. I can provide it – there is no one else who can, or will.”

 

Reyes hummed. “Probably not, no.”

 

“And I can do more than tell you. I can _show_ you.”

 

Reyes’ brows raised. “Show?”

 

By now Genji's back and arms were tight lines of tension. He glanced down at his hands on the sheets, and when he looked up again there was something hollow in his eyes, a hunger where before had only been suspicion and hate. “You need names?” he growled. “Locations? Warehouses, safehouses, trafficking routes – no one bothered to hide anything from me. I can _show_ you. You _need_ my help.”

 

“..Right.” Reyes frowned and let out a tired sigh. “See, this is what I was afraid would happen. You realize we're running a specialized military taskforce here, right? I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mister Shimada, I do, but we can't just let civilians--”

 

“My name is _Genji._ ” Spiking EKG. Words dripping with vitriol. “And I have been trained in combat since the moment I could crawl. I assure you, _Mister Reyes_ , I can _fight_.” He sneered again and tilted his chin at Jesse, the only slightest bit of attention he'd shown him the entire time. “Try me. I bet I am far superior to your – your _Village_ _People_ reject over there.”

 

McCree let himself huff quietly, beating down a smile. You wouldn't've been able to figure from looking at him – not unless you knew him well, knew him the way Jesse had grown to over the past ten years – but everything Reyes was made up of had sharpened, zeroing in on his target like a shark scenting blood in the water, keen and primed to act. McCree let his eyes drift lazily away so’s not to give up the ruse. He watched Angela’s fingers tapping anxiously on her crossed arm instead.

 

Reyes sighed again and scratched his beard. “Yeah, we know the Shimadas' reputation, and we've heard about _your_ skills in particular. To be honest, Genji, I'd be damn lucky to have someone like you on my team, but...” he glanced up at a glowering Angela, “well, the doctor could explain it better than me, but it would involve more surgeries. More, likely invasive, techfitting and other procedures, and all the pain and healing and other bullshit that goes along with all that. A lot of trial and error to figure out what armour and weaponry would work for you, and a hell of a lot more physio before you could even begin training--”

 

Genji's fists were so tight his arms were shaking, the tubes in his muscle rattling faintly. “I can do it,” he rasped.

 

Angela's tapping stopped. “Your ten minutes are up, Commander,” she announced, curt and clipped, stepping forward to stand defensively at Genji's side.

 

Reyes raised his hands again. “Alright.” He stood from his chair and knocked his knuckles lightly on the metal frame of Genji's bed. “Think about it, Genji. You’ve got options. And take your time, yeah? There's no rush.”

 

Genji grunted, dismissing them by turning away to glare out of the window instead, and then Angela's patience finally snapped, and she shooed them out the door.

 

Jesse followed Gabriel in silence down the maze of corridors, out of medbay, out of the bear’s den, out of the building entirely. Once they were outside, breathing in the fresh alpine air and far away from the prying eyes and ears of any medical staff, he let his grin slip free.

 

“Smooth, boss.”

 

Gabriel rumbled a laugh. “Think he took the bait?”

 

“Oh, he bit alright. Hook, line and sinker.”

 

“Told you we wouldn't need a plan B.” He fixed Jesse with a pointed finger. “Never underestimate the power of spite or the thirst for vengeance in motivating a man.”

 

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Jesse elbowed him lightly. “And you know Angie's gonna be mighty pissed at you for pullin' a stunt like that right in front of her eyes.”

 

“She'll forgive me.”

 

“You sure 'bout that?”

 

Gabriel shrugged, still grinning unrepentantly. “I'll sweet-talk Jack into getting her more grant money as an apology. She'll get over it eventually.”

 

“If you say so, Boss,” Jesse chuckled. “Better you than me. So I guess we're gonna have an angry ninja joinin' us soon, huh? Should be interesting.”

 

“Oh, kid, you have no idea.” Gabriel clapped Jesse on the shoulder. “I got _plans._ ”

 

His satisfaction was palpable, rolling off him in waves. Infectious. “And Morrison’s happy with these plans o’ yours, is he?” Jesse teased.

 

“Eh, he will be, once he sees the results.”

 

Jesse laughed. “Hope you know what you're doin'.”

 

Gabriel's smile sharpened. “I know, trust me. Or on my head be the consequences, right?”

 

He patted Jesse once more, then buried his hands in the pockets of his hoody and sauntered off.

 

“We're gonna be the dream team, Jesse,” he called over his shoulder. “You’ll see.”

 

After all these years, Jesse still felt that swell of pride whenever Reyes acknowledged how important he was to him, acknowledged Jesse’s place as his right-hand man. He didn’t think he’d ever stop feeling that pride; didn’t want to know the whens or whys he might one day not.

 

“Cowboys and ninjas, huh,” he muttered to himself, patting down his pockets for a smoke. “Like somethin’ from a movie. Looks like you got yourself some wild times ahead, McCree.” He stuck the cigarillo between his teeth and lit it, relishing the first hot, spiced puff after the sterile air of the medbay. “Hell, sign me up. Sounds like fun.”

 

And with that he wandered off after the Boss, a whistle on his lips in time with the jingle of his spurs.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'd love to add a Moira chapter at some point but currently the ideas are just not there... also, i can't write her voice to save my life ;n;  
> so one day, hopefully. but for now this is it! thanks for reading ♥


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